New York Islanders play solid game, beat one of NHL’s best teams

The New York Islanders played a solid game on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Their reward was a 4-3 win and two crucial points.

The win was highly encouraging as it seemed to build on last game’s third period. In Isles’ previous outing against the Seattle Kraken, the team was down 4-0 heading into the third period. But instead of folding the Islanders pushed back, and gave the Kraken a run for their money.

Despite the loss, the third period against Seattle gave the Isles a chance to build momentum heading into Saturday night. The Islanders used that momentum to come from behind to beat one of the league’s best, well-rounded teams.

The New York Islanders were down 2-1 midway through the second before pouring it on. Oliver Wahlstrom got a much-needed goal less than a minute after Andrei Svechnikov made it 2-1. Wahlstrom’s goal, a solid, hardworking tally originating from a takeaway, allowed the Isles to tie the game at two.

Then, Maxim Tsyplakov got his fifth of the season. To give the Isles a 3-2 lead. Near the end of the second, Bo Horvat ended his 14-game goalless drought, taking a beautiful feed from JG Pageau to give the Islanders a 4-2 lead.

That three-goal outburst in a span of about nine minutes underscored the Islanders’ dominance in the latter half of the second period. The Isles played, fast, aggressively, and relentlessly forechecked. Most importantly, it put the Isles in a familiar spot where fans have seen the Isles cave this season.

No third-period collapse for New York Islanders

That all-too-familiar spot involves heading into the third period with the lead. But this time around, the Islanders did not collapse. They continued to attack rather than sitting back on their heels.

While the Isles did give up a late goal to make the game 4-3, it wasn’t enough for the Hurricanes to tie the game and send it to overtime.

In the end, Saturday night’s game provided a number of encouraging signs. Tsyplakov and Horvat had two points while Pageau all had a three-point night. Tsyplakov scored on back-to-back nights, while Horvat ended his goalless drought.

Also, Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves, keeping the Islanders in the game throughout the night. The defense didn’t quit, with Ryan Pulock, Noah Dobson, and Alexander Romanov being the workhorses for the New York Islanders.

The win, while certainly encouraging, does not mean everything’s fine on The Island. It’s a clear signal this team has what it takes to hang with the best of them. However, the New York Islanders must now continue working hard to build on the success from Saturday night and transform that into another solid 60 minutes against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday evening.